Would it be bad manners to reserve this post for my CS and claim the Swordsman Rep as well? I'll have the CS done in a few hours and I'll post it here.
"I wander where I will, and I fight when others can not. I am.... Nanashi."
[- - -]
Name:Jun Taira
Nickname:"Mutt"- The name given to him by the leader of the fire-bending bandits that enslaved him after killing his parents, a reference to his mixed heritage. Jun despises this name and keeps it a closely guarded secret.
"Nanashi"- The name bestowed upon him from the Order of the White Lotus, meaning 'nameless' or 'anonymous' in the old tongue. It is fitting of a wandering swordsman and Jun has even been known to introduce himself as such when he wants to sound impressive.
Age:29
Gender:Male
Sexuality:Hetero
Role:Swordsman Representative
Primary Element:N/A
Secondary Element:N/A
Appearance:
Hair color: black
Hair length: shoulder length
Hair style: Loosely tied at the back
Eye color: Hazel
Height: 5'10''
Weight: 178lb.
Style:
His tattered robes made from hemp have lasted him several years already and he expects they will last him several more. He doesn't own any other clothes so he is always wearing these. He also keeps a sunhat made of bamboo.
Distinct Markings:Most notably Jun has two scars on his face. The first runs down from his forehead above his right eye and continues below his eye stopping just before his jaw line. The second is just below and to the left of his left eye and runs about half way across the cheek. Other scars are scattered about his body, a testament to his life as a vagrant.
Likes & Dislikes:+Good-Looking Women
+Good Food
+Good Drink
+Comfortable Beds
+Sunny Days
+Warm Weather
-Rude People
-Inconsiderate People
-Bullies
-Rain
-Cold Weather
-Snow
Strengths & Weakness:+He excels in the martial arts as it is his passion and perhaps his only real talent.
+He is quite an excellent cook and can forage from the wilderness for food.
+His time living in the wilderness has made accustomed to harsh climates.
-He is simple, having lived as a vagrant most of his life.
-He is quite impulsive and reckless though often for the right reasons.
-He lacks a strategic mind and relies on his skill to win.
-He is much more concerned with the safety of others than his own.
Personality:Jun is a simple man with simple needs, as he often likes to say. Indeed his lack of sophistication is immediately apparent and most on-lookers would assume he is a wild and dangerous vagrant, although they are not far from the truth. Jun is traveled and worldly, having experienced many cultures from the posh and 'civilized' Earth Cities to the enlightened Air Nomads. Despite the later years of his childhood Jun manages to walk on with a friendly face and has committed himself to becoming the kind of person his parents would have wanted him to be.
Although Jun is a morally righteous person he can be quite simple-minded and lacks any aptitude for long term strategy. His generally easy going attitude often leads others to assume that he is either incompetent or simply a fool. Make no mistake, however, behind the vagrant's playful demeanor lies a warrior tempered by fire and steel. His experience has made him wise beyond his years but he rarely dispenses his wisdom tactfully. Often he is mistaken for being rude when he is trying to advise others.
Background:Jun was the son of an Earth City father and Water Tribal mother. His family was generally looked down upon because of their mixed heritage and Jun was discriminated against worst of all. Despite this Jun's father always held his head high and made sure to imbue upon his son words of justice. He would say to his son, "Other people can think what they like and it won't hurt you. They only fear you because you are different but you are also unique and that gives you something no one else has." Jun would keep those words close to his heart for the rest of his life. His father, Batou, was a masterful earth-bender and his mother, Ranka, a skillful water-bender and healer, ironically Jun didn't inherit either of their gifts. That didn't stop him studying their arts however and by the time he was twelve he had a deep understanding of both earth-bending and water-bending. He adapted his knowledge to suit some one like himself who had no ability to bend and practiced every day.
When he was fifteen his life changed forever. He and his parents had decided to make the trip to visit his mother's homeland and were ambushed by bandits along the way. They were confronted by a gang of twelve who's leader referred to himself as 'Oxen-Bear' and demanded that they surrender their belongings. Batou, for fear of placing his family at risk, agreed to let them have what they want. Material things can be replaced after all. Unfortunately the bandits wanted more than just materials, they also wanted Ranka. Batou refused and a fight ensued. His father took on the entire gang while allowing his wife and son to escape. Batou despite being a master bender could not withstand the onslaught of twelve fire-benders at once and fell in the battle but not before killing nine of the bandits himself. The two remaining members of the bandit gang ran away but Oxen-Bear was not about to leave without a prize. Oxen-Bear tracked Ranka and Jun through the woods until finally catching them in a clearing. Ranka fought Oxen-Bear with every fiber of her being but even so it was not enough to kill Oxen-Bear. Jun, in his fury and distress, recklessly attacked Oxen-Bear only to be brought down in seconds.
Oxen-Bear spared his life and decided to keep him as "his little Mutt". Oxen-Bear declared that Jun belonged to him so long as both of them lived. Jun took this challenge as the sole purpose of his existence. Every day he challenged Oxen-Bear who reveled in this form of "entertainment" and gladly beat him every time. Jun took each defeat in stride and studied Oxen-Bear in every match. It took him three years to finally become skilled enough to match Oxen-Bear's level of skill and finally on his nineteenth birthday he would have one last duel. The match lasted for twenty minutes at a draw until Jun finally landed a decisive blow. With Oxen-Bear on the ground defeated Jun took hold of the man's sword and thrust it into the demon's heart.
Jun had avenged his family but there was no victory. His parents were still dead and, despite his righteous motive, all he had really accomplished was another murder. He took Oxen-Bears blade as his own, a constant reminder of his past, and wandered aimlessly across the land. He drifted from one town to the next always making just enough to afford his meals and move on. With so little to live with he enjoyed the little things, a glass of good wine, freshly cooked meat, and occasionally the comfort of a local woman (He is a man after all). In his travels he made it a point to become strong so he could protect those weaker than himself much as his parents did. He traveled all around the known world and even stayed with the Air Nomads in the north for a time. In all his travels however he never felt that he really belonged anywhere.
Other:Oxen-Bear's Katana (shown in image)- It is a relatively simple looking blade though it is of exemplary make and is perfectly balanced. It is unknown how Oxen-Bear acquired such a remarkably fine blade although it was most likely stolen from someone of considerable wealth. Jun keeps his blade tied to his sheath most of the time and won't draw on an enemy unless it's absolutely necessary. The knot itself is tied with a ribbon inscribed with the word "peace".
My favorite moment would have to be Iroh in the forest with Zuko trying to decide if the plant would make a soothing tea or a deadly poison.
